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This exercise was initiated as part of my role as Diversity & Solidarity Coordinator within the Architect's Climate Action Network in August 2022 in order to map the ecosystem of existing people, organisations, resources and references relating to the 3 complex and intersecting subjects of architecture, climate activism, and equity, diversity & inclusion work.

These 3 topics have been selected to explore as there is significant evidence attesting to the fact that the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events can affect anyone, but those living in certain types of buildings have the potential for more serious harm. This research investigates the inequitable distribution of space and building quality which exacerbates the negative effects of climate and ecological crises. This intersection of equity, diversity and inclusion and architecture is then further intersected with climate activism, recognising that those most negatively effected by the climate crisis are the least likely to be involved in decision-making.

Research exploring these intersections are predominant within disciplines such as geography, social and cultural studies and anthropology, however there remains a lack of awareness and understanding of these intersections within the field of architecture and the built environment. This research mapping existing knowledge attempts to create a database for designers to refer to to develop their own sensibility of these topics, while also inviting a collaborative method of knowledge sharing.

This mapping is dynamic, where individuals, groups or organisations may move around in line with their changing work and actions.

For example, if an organisation that was originally established to address the importance of disability justice in architecture begins to engage with the climate emergency and how this relates to their existing work, this development would be visualised in this venn diagram using the arrows. This map becomes a accountability tool, making explicit the parameters of fields of research, celebrating the exploratory spaces in between.